9 Make A Whole
by Ryosei Takashi Hime
Summary: This set of 8 oneshots - one for each number 3and4 together - is based off my idea of what the 9 represent as pieces of a whole. Big spoiler for movie if you haven't seen it yet.Chapters get increasingly longer.
1. Cowardice and Ego

_Screams of horror – the bastard children of my arrogance and folly – find their way to my stronghold even now. I try my best to put them out of mind as I work. I know not how long my _beloved_ government can hold out. I know not how long I will have to perfect this creation. I only know it is the last chance humanity has, and it is __**my**__ responsibility to provide that last chance as I am the one who has taken away all others. I place the completed device on my workbench, finally ready for the test run. I reach for the small, mechanical doll I laid aside some time ago. It remains where I left it, patiently awaiting life. My hands shake as the ground rumbles beneath me, but I hold tightly to that hollow shell of canvas and wood. They have felled yet another monster of my creation's making. I still have time. As long as they can destroy them, I still have time. My quivering fingers reach for the button that will rip away a very part of my soul, and I feel the fear overtake me. If this does not work, all is lost. _All is lost_. It echoes in my mind, all I can think, and a feeling of the need for safety, the need to hide, pervades. I know I have created a fearful creature even as I press the button._

1 sat upon his self-made throne, narrow eyes wandering around the room as he lost himself in thought. These thoughts, as always, were on the safety of his domain – his self-proclaimed kingdom – and he began to see a threat to that long-held safety among his subordinates. 8 was completely obedient, of course. No trouble there. He had 6 under control, able to convince the others he was mad. His drawings were the lingering memories of random, useless symbols resurfacing amidst the chaos of his broken mind. 5 was a coward who only followed 2's lead. It was 2 that caused him the most anxiety. He tapped his chin lightly with a clawed finger. 2 was becoming too concerned with 6's drawings and this "source" he kept mumbling about. If 2 ever learned the truth, his sense of justice would drive the others to seek it out. Never! They had already lost 3, 4, and 7 to their own flawed characteristics. If 2 could not quash his insatiable curiosity, 1 would have no choice but to do away with him. Sometimes – no, always – the sacrifice of one to save the whole was necessary and justifiable. 1 lowered his hand slowly, and his fingers curled around the fold of cloth from his cape which always seemed to catch on the arm of his throne as he sat. He did not want to sacrifice any of his subjects, but better one warrior die than to lose an entire kingdom. Yes, it was for the best. The path that led them to safety was _always_ best.

"Eight!" 1 called, barely waiting for the lumbering youngster's arrival before tossing a command at him. "Bring me Two. I have a job for him."

1's eyes narrowed further, his shutters almost closing entirely, but 8 – having very little thought of his own – simply hefted his blade to his shoulder and immediately set off to do his master's bidding. 1 clutched his staff, fingers scraping across the metal, and buried his premature guilt with a barrage of justifications. Better to snuff the flame before it grew. He closed his eyes as 2 entered the room. He opened them once more after a moment, what shame had risen buried alive, and spoke calmly as his fingers released his cape slowly.

"I need you to scout the area to the north," he began. "I'm afraid our safety has been compromised by the loss of 7. Someone needs to pick up her slack."

2 looked confused for a moment. He opened his mouth, looked at 8, and closed it. A bit of realization seemed to shoot across his face, but it vanished quickly. A fleeting suspicion, 1 was sure. It may have been a while since 7 disappeared, but 3 and 4 had gone missing more recently. It was enough to justify his need to replace 7 at last. 1 held his breath as he waited for 2 to agree to the mission and when 2 took his leave, 1 sighed in relief. 2 may have known his true intentions and chose to obey him for his own purposes, but 1 liked to think otherwise. With his guilt gone, only his ego remained, and 1 was happier believing that he had fooled the other. Yes, he thought as his fingers played over the thick straps around his chest, better he be the genius who killed 2 than the fool who let him live long enough to get the rest of them killed. Better the guilt of murder than face the fear of failure.


	2. Curiosity and KnowHow

_I have made this next doll far more precise than my previous invention. I am confident he will be able to survive. I am confident he will be resourceful enough to evade any machines that may seek him out. They seem to increase in number and variety every day. He will need the know-how to repair himself and the desire to learn. Yes, the need to question, to seek out the answers that 1 will certainly be too afraid to find on his own. I am confident as I stand before my Fabrication Machine. I know that I must grip this feeling tightly in my mind. No matter how the earth quakes or how piercing the sudden, deathly silence becomes as victory is only barely taken once more, I must keep that need to learn – that precious curiosity – aglow in my heart. I take the second of my dolls in hand as the memories of my childhood – a lifetime ago, it seems now – fill my soul with a warmth I had long forgotten. A time of pure, innocent curiosity filled with questions of how this new world worked. A time when, as I grew, I had to know how this worked, what was inside it, could I put it back together, make something new? A time of joyous learning untainted by money, control, or power, learning for learning's sake; a time before the thunderous roar of war plagued the land; a time long before the desolate silence that will eventually come over this country; a time before hiding and cowardice. I can't afford another mistake like 1. No, I can't even think of that failed experiment now. I push him out of my mind and reach for the button once more. This time, certainly this time, I will have humanity's savior from the best part of myself. Surely, the love of learning will be enough, surely._

2 smiled at 6 softly as he passed along his frantic sketches. He liked to think he was closer to 6 than the others were, at least of those that remained. He didn't dismiss his drawings as madness or ignore him simply for the fact that 1 did not want them to pay him attention. No, 2 couldn't follow such orders, subtle or direct. 6 was an important part of their clan, their group, their family. He deserved as much attention as anyone. Even more-so than the others for the simple fact that he knew something they did not, something very important. He rolled the drawings up into a tube and gave 6 a nod as he headed for his roof-top niche. 5 would not be joining him today. 1 was lecturing him or giving orders. One was nearly the same as the other since 5 rarely felt confident enough to leave their sanctuary even under 2's guidance. It was forbidden by 1 and 5 could not disobey 1 without extreme cause or convincing.

2 sighed at this thought, and placed 6's new drawings with the others. He turned to look out over the deserted world that now belonged only to them and the Beast. He lowered himself to sit on the edge of the roof with a slight groan, removed his illuminating hat, and ran a hand over his head. He'd been out around the edges of the areas deemed safe by 1 late into the evening, looking for parts and scraps of metal he could use in repairs and inventions. He was tired and his mind roamed. He wondered, what had happened to 3, 4, and 7? He always wondered about them when he found himself at rest, when his mind was not questing for other answers. Could they ever be retrieved, or was 1 right in assuming they were gone once taken by the Beast? 2 couldn't seem to find it in himself to agree with 1, even when he was likely to be right. He felt they were still out there somehow, if only in spirit.

He turned slightly to look back on one of the unfurled pictures given to him by 6. It was perhaps the first he had kept. Other – earlier – drawings had been destroyed by 1 right away. Their leader had claimed that he did not want the madness spreading to the rest of them. 2 had always had the sneaking suspicion that these earlier drawings had been more accurate, and 1 did not want them knowing what this strange symbol meant. 1 was always trying to keep them from knowing. He seemed to fear it. 3, 4, and 2 _had_ to know, however. They could not seem to live without some kind of knowledge though 2 would admit his was more abstract and active knowledge than that which 3 and 4 had sought to acquire. So, it was disconcerting for 2 when the twins disappeared that fateful day not so long ago. They had already lost 7 who was openly defiant of 1. It did not improve 2's skepticism of their leader's intentions for them. If he was slowly picking off those who defied him or threatened the safety of their sanctuary, who was next? 2 knew the answer to that question, though he kept posing it to himself over and over. The only questioned left was, when? 2 did not have it in himself to accept the fact that one of their own would do something so horrible long enough to move onto this question. He would rather be caught by surprise when 1 sent him to his death than to believe something so very malicious of the one who claimed to live only for their safety. In the end – no matter how old 2 sounded, acted, became – his heart was still that of a trusting, curious kid who wanted nothing more than to love the world as much as he wanted to know how it worked.


	3. Intelligence and Purity

[A short note on this one: I don't know the gender/s of 3 and 4, if they officially have one/any. I have chosen two different genders for fairness.]

_2 has proven himself too emotional for this harsh new world, too trusting, too willing to love and tolerate. His unending forgiveness of 1's bitter and defensive nature is disheartening. He cannot lead my former failure and, so, has become one himself. I believe I was on the right track, but I have tried too hard, put too much of myself into him. I must attempt to restrain such personal memories and feelings from flowing so freely during this next test. I do not expect it will be a success, but I hope to cut the chances of failure in half by using two identical dolls at once. Any personal feelings will be divided among them and lessened to a reasonable level. I take the two in hand and smile. They are beginning to look like children to me, and it is a comfort in such dark times to look upon their faces. This is why I let 1 and 2 roam the building so freely for the time being. I try not to be seen observing them for fear I will frighten them with my size, but I believe 1 feels my presence none-the-less. The thought of these two failures causes the smile to melt from my tired face. I must not think of things that cause such light emotions. I clear my mind as I move to stand before my Fabrication Machine once more. This time, I attempt to bring to my mind memories with very little feelings. I recall school – college. Yes, college; the years in which one had so little time to feel for what they read or learned. Hours upon hours of mindless reading and memorizing immediately fill my mind. Facts pass before my eyes, almost tangible, as they return to me in the form of small, black and white text. I place 4 into the hand that holds 3 and let them lie limply together as I reach for the button. I do not allow myself the privilege of hope or anxiety as to the outcome of this experiment. I keep my mind locked away with the many science books and math equations I'd trudged through to get to the position that allowed me to – nearly single-handedly – destroy the world. Facts, facts, facts. This time, I will take the serious student within me and create a pair of serious saviors._

3 heard a whizzing sound come from behind him, and he ripped his eyes from the book he was imprinting into his mechanized mind long enough to see who it was. Of course, it had to be either 7 or 4. No one else even knew they were alive, and 7 rarely visited aside from patrolling their new sanctuary. She was too afraid of leading the Beast back to them. So, 3 was nowhere near surprised to see 4 zip into view on a swiftly rising rope and drop next to him. She stumbled slightly before sitting next to her slightly older twin, he having been made before her. She gave him a worried look, and their eyes lit up, flickering as they communicated through the jumbled imprints of text and pictures they had collected during their stay in this library. They had completely agreed from day one that this was the very best haven for which one could ever hope. They needed very little else with so much knowledge surrounding them, the rare longing for outside companions aside. It was nearly heaven to two such fact-mongers.

But 4 had a serious message for her brother today, rather than her usual urgent need to share her knowledge with him when something new was found. 7 would be arriving again within the next week. She had started sending them messages in Morse code with the reflection of her blade after the twins had discovered it in a book. It made it easier for her to convey commands or information to them without the risk of leading the Beast back to their sanctuary. She had further blinked that they were not to venture outside until then. This may have meant the Beast was growing close to the parameter of their wonderful home. This frightened the twins, but when there was no one for them to hide behind, it was 4 who took her brother's arm in fear, and it was 3 who had to act brave for her. He placed a hand over her metallic fingers softly and smiled at her worried face. Things would be fine, he conveyed to her through a series of pictures. A loving mother, a pair of lovers, a family picnic: unity. When he attempted comfort, it was always a series of pictures concerning the unity of families and lovers. It was his way of saying that no matter what happened everything was fine when they were together. 4 received the pictures and her eyes stopped flickering for a moment as she looked away. 3 took her chin in his free hand and pulled her forehead down to touch his. His eyes flickered and hers responded as she accepted his message. L o v e w I l l k e e p u s. The varying sizes of the letters let 4 know he had not simply taken this quote from a book he had once read. He had constructed it himself from the numerous letters gathered over time. It came from his heart. She looked away from his eyes once more, but smiled as he released her. She returned to her studies with a clearer mind, her eyes only occasionally wandering over to her brother's hunched form, like a schoolgirl in love. She knew he would always keep her safe, even if he showed his fear when there was someone else to hide behind. If it came down to the two of them, she could count on him for protection as he could count on her.

[A short note to end this one: I did not intend to insinuate incest here. It was more a way of showing that, though he tried to use his most serious memories to keep personal feelings from invading these two, college was a time of love, friendship, and growth as a person as well as serious study, creating two young, emotional scholars, instead of two serious saviors.]


	4. Doubt and Uncertainty

_I have failed once more. I am not certain what went wrong with my previous test. I allowed no emotion to consume me as I extracted my soul, yet these two delightful doppelgangers seem to be more childish and loveable than 2. They keep themselves in my library, which I have not frequented since the beginning of the war, and enjoy one another's company more than 1 or 2's. I am pleased with them as I observe their behavior, but when alone, contemplating my next attempt, I worry greatly. I cannot help but feel a failure all together. Three attempts with such little progress have weakened my confidence –what little I once possessed. I feel that my soul is the cause of such failure, and I will continue to fail no matter what I try. I have become lackluster and morose, my fingers passing over the buttons of my new creation idly as I debate whether or not to try again. Quitting, however, is a fleeting thought caused by depression. I know I cannot possibly give up on humanity, having personally caused its end. I stand from my armchair and present my fourth attempt to the soul-sucking machine – an affront to God in its own right – with doubt still clouding my mind. I am tired and cannot rid myself of this feeling. Yet, I cannot linger in this uncertainty. The war does not fare well. We lose ground each day. I have no time to wait for a brightening of mood that may never come again. I push the button, and I know I have corrupted yet another of my godforsaken children. I'm afraid the poor soul that must live his life in this cloudy fog of indecision is worse off than the fear-inflicted 1._

5 scurried behind a rusty can and tried to crawl inside. It was cut in half and the many holes that had rusted into the top provided little cover. He quickly peered out, hugging his crossbow to his chest as he glanced around for any sign of danger before running to a more suitable hiding place beneath a crumpled street sign. He sighed in relief as he rested for a moment in the cool, dark shade. 2 would have said he was overreacting, considering he was still close to the area deemed safe by 1. 2 wandered this area without fear, whistling sometimes at his discoveries. But 5 could not be like 2. He refused to take one step past the border between safe and forbidden. 5 always waited for him at the border, but today he had not returned. This caused the already uncertain 5 to become somewhat frantic. Nothing had been different about their search, nothing he could pinpoint. There had only been this sense of foreboding. 5's mind continuously told him to turn back, but he always felt this way about wandering around outside. He could not have known he would finally be right.

5 took a deep breath and looked out to the land considered unsafe. He looked back in the opposite direction. He could still see home from here. That meant it was safe, right? Right? He gulped as he thought of 2 out there, possibly in danger. He had already passed the border in his fear, and now it drove him to do something previously unthinkable in such an area. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He swallowed and tried again.

"Two!" he shouted out into the open, eerie landscape. "Two, come back! Please, come back!"

5 slammed his back against the sign before he'd even finished calling out to 2. It had been hours since he had left 5 standing at the border. He wouldn't be able to hear him at the distance he had traveled, yet 5 was too frightened to go any further. He was at his limit as it was, passing into dangerous territory. He waited another hour or so, but could take the intense fear that set upon his heart no longer. He turned to look once again, but did not see any sign of movement from beyond the horizon. He had hoped – he could picture – 2 hauling something valuable over that horizon with a smile at 5's needless worrying. He looked again. _Please, let him be there. _There was only a slight dust cloud kicked up by the breeze. 5 sighed and turned to look back at his sanctuary. He had to go back. He had to get help from someone stronger, someone more certain than he. 8. He needed 8 to accompany him, though he would need 1's permission to borrow 8, and he knew that would never happen.

How he wished 7 were still with them. She wouldn't hesitate to dart out into the most forbidden places to save any one of them, including 1. But, then again, this was the attitude that had gotten her killed to begin with, wasn't it? Should he mimic her bravado and get himself killed to save 2, who could already be dead, or should he follow his own gut instinct and return to the only safety he knew? As he struggled with himself, he slowly inched out from beneath the sign. He discovered he was inching forward, toward 2. His fear for 2 was winning out. Soon, he found himself running; running in fear, yes, but also in worry. The landscape became a blur, and 5 tried not to think of where he was heading as he rushed forward.

He began to lose a sense of distance and time, refusing to look back. He was afraid the church would be out of view if he did. This refusal to think for fear of losing the tiny bit of courage he had found caused him to be unaware of the lump of burlap that had spread out across his path. He tripped suddenly, but before he fell he caught sight of the brown material that made up most of them. He stood and smiled as he turned. Was it 2? His eye landed on the number on this fallen one's back. 9.

"Nine?" he asked, tilting his head slightly at the unfamiliar number.

His eye quickly zoomed in on the newcomer's injured arm. He looked around warily and gripped his crossbow. Something had caused that wound. He couldn't leave the newcomer alone, though his instincts told him to run. He was afraid to let his guard down long enough to hoist 9 onto his back, so he grabbed 9's uninjured arm and hastily went through a series of awkward movements that got him nowhere. He'd need both arms after all. Well, he had fought his fear this long to save 2. He could fight it a little longer. He slowly placed his crossbow on the ground, looking around cautiously before he continued. The moment 9 was on his back he stood and quickly turned in a circle. When he saw it was safe, he snatched his crossbow from the ground, looking back as he moved forward one step at a time. He would return to the sanctuary to repair this 9. Maybe 2 would return later. He took another long look at the horizon and tried to keep up his hope. Yes, 2 would return, and tell him what a great job he did repairing 9's arm. He took a few more steps forward, eye still trained on the horizon, before finally taking off at full speed. It didn't take long for the church to come back into sight, but 5 wasn't sure if the trek across the forbidden area was more frightening with home before him or behind him.


	5. Insanity and Knowledge

_I can take this chaos no longer! The clatter of machinery and the sounds of pathetic, pleading, starving, dying humans have driven me mad! Several times I have begun to throw myself from my roof, but in the end, the need to make amends for the sin I have thrust upon this world has won out over my own misery. In order to maintain my sanity, I have attempted to create a new savior, but he has come out quite odd in comparison to his predecessors. The mechanics of his brain are somewhat jumbled, for I hadn't the mind to properly format them as I did the others. The acceptance of a soul into these cogs is certain, of course, but the effects it will have on such a different circuitry is questionable at best. _He will be unstable_, I think, turning him over and over in my hand as his black stripes roll into a hypnotizing pattern, _yes, but he will know. He will **know**. _I stand suddenly, knocking over a table filled with dusty books I have not touched in years. He will most certainly __**know**__! This one will be needed, by god! I will make this one worthy, useful, essential. I will not let this one be a failure. As I stand before my device once more, I concentrate on the most important thing my children must know for the protection of life. He will not forget this important component even if all else within him fails. This image will remain firmly imbedded in his mind, and easily retrieved by 3 and 4 if necessary. This one will not be a failure. He. Will. __**KNOW**__! I command it with my entire being as the device rips away another part of my soul, throwing flashing blue lights across the wall once more. Out of the corner of my eye I see my shadow and wonder, briefly, how much further it will be able to stretch this way. When will it shatter against that agonizing backdrop – that tattered, hideous wallpaper that is my self-inflicted prison – or will it even make it through this time? Can I last much longer?_

6 frantically sketched the same symbols he had been trying to recall for as long as he could remember across a series of papers he had laid out before him this morning. He had hundreds of sketches by now, he was sure, but this image would not leave his mind. It was maddening! What did it do? What was it for? How could he find it? If he could only find it, he was sure that he could get it out of his mind for good. He knew 2 was interested in the drawings, and he depended on him to find the subject of his insane art for a long time, but the news of his passing floated down to him from above as 8 escorted 5 and the newcomer known as 9 to 1's throne room. Sad, the loss of 2, sad. So sad, so sad, so sad. 5 was not brave enough to help him find the symbols in his mind. No, no, no. 5 was too frightened of 1. 7 was gone. She could not help him either. 3 and 4, 4 and 3, the twins were gone, gone, gone. Their keen eyes were lost to him. Lost. Lost. Lost. His mind would forever be plagued with the images of these symbols, and only 1 would remain to ridicule him in the end.

He stopped his sketching momentarily to clutch at his head, inky fingers drawing lines down his scalp as he gripped it tightly. Oh, the ridicule, the humiliation, the pain, pain, pain. He would beat the images out of his mind if he thought that would work, but no. 6 was crazy, not stupid. He knew how his mind worked, and he knew what went on around this place, as much as 1 would like to think otherwise. It was only…this crippling mental block kept him in place! The same, same place for always, always, always. It was simply maddening, but he _knew. _For the love of all that was good in this world, he _knew_! But, what did he know? That was the question. What was it he knew so deeply in the very pit of his being?

It was important, so very important. So important. He scratched his fingers across the paper he had just sketched, creating an x on what he assumed to be an incorrect drawing of the symbols in his mind. This symbol would drive him to insanity, if it hadn't already done the job so well. He would admit there was a certain degree of madness to his actions and sometimes his thought patterns, but there yet remained an intelligence that only 2 found difficult to deny. There was still logic, though no one else would acknowledge it. He was still a living, sentient being, wasn't he? Wasn't he, wasn't he, wasn't he? These thoughts did not make him different in the end, and yet he was treated as such. All because of these images in his mind!

Maddening! He swiped the papers before him aside and began again on the wood beneath him. He must still be drawing it wrong! Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. If he drew it right, it would be as good as having it there, wouldn't it? Wouldn't it? Wouldn't it? His inky fingers scratched across the splintered boards, creating new grooves and cracks. It would fix him, fix him, it had to fix him. If he only kept trying, it would work someday. He did not look up, but he knew the others had long since passed. No one remained to watch his frantic search for a truth only he knew. He was truly alone with his madness now that 2 had gone. Alone, alone, alone, alone. Would no one else save him from himself? Would no one else try? His fingers attacked the wooden surface with a ferocity he had never shown before, and he felt he would not stop this time. Not this time, no, no, no.

[Note: I, of course, meant that one to be a bit foreshadowing of the fact that 9 brings him the object he keeps sketching in the end, only to be killed by it. However, I hope no one complains about his manner of thinking. I only meant it to indicate the insanity in his mind. Note that I did not make him speak; otherwise, I would have kept him true to the way he spoke in the movie. It's just that I feel he may think this way but still be able to speak logically when the need arises, not that it seemed many of them gave him that need. This is just my take on the innermost workings of 6's mind. I grew rather fond of him despite his limited spotlight in the movie. Hopefully, I kept real to the feel of the character anyways. I also hope you don't think I've made him callus to 2's death, as the last bit was meant to be an expression of his grief more than his frustration with his own insanity.]


	6. Courage and Justice

_I no longer hear the screams. The battle has been moved further away from the city to protect what few citizens survive. The army tries to lure them into open fields to prevent casualties, but they have only succeeded in spreading their reign further. Now even more countries must suffer our mistake. I have become vexed. My blood boils at the sight of decaying flesh and hollow eyes slowly losing their light. Children await the cold, unforgiving embrace of the bloody offspring of War known as Death, for it has become their only comfort. It is a slow, painful wait, because they starve as we all do. The machines have made it very difficult to acquire fresh food. We live on what we can find. Many die of disease even when they manage to stave off starvation. I have surpassed my depressed and insane states of mind, but I cannot succumb to the apocalyptic assimilation of my fellow humans. I cannot allow myself to become so numb and empty. I am not so blind that I do not realize I have entered the stage of death known as anger. However, my rage, defiance, and moral outrage at such inhumanity will make the true savior this time around. Yes! I was too blinded by my own ego to think that intelligence could solve this problem! It will take courage and bravery to survive in this new world! I have crafted a pure doll which will shine amongst the others as she leads them to victory over the machines. Agile, strong, and skilled, she will be a brave warrior in this frightening world. I hold her out, my pale, skeletal fingers expanding before her stiff, upright form as a lotus blossom from the feet of a goddess. She holds my greatest hope thus far, like the spear in her hands, and I can feel it pulse into her as I press the button for a seventh time._

7 swung down from the broken rooftop of a bleak building and slid down the drainpipe to the ground. She landed nimbly and rolled over to a dirty tire. She looked around before using her spear to vault over the top, landed inside the tire, and scurried into the hollow rim. She pushed her helmet up, giving a short grin as she listened to the Beast scratching at the door of the warehouse angrily. She had it trapped, but not to the point that she could destroy it at her own leisure. She had only stopped here to make sure it was truly contained long enough to make her escape. She tried to calm her breathing, but the smile returned to her face as she let the adrenaline pulse through her. In truth, she had only stopped to savor the feeling of her rapidly pounding heart as it pumped the golden chemical through her body. It was all that kept her alive, and it was all she had in this life to give her joy. In some small way, she knew she had only stopped to give the Beast a chance to free itself, so that the game could begin once more.

When the sound of the Beast's scratching had ceased, however, her smile faded. She had not expected that the Beast would actually find its way out. She clambered to the top of the tire and peered over the edge cautiously, searching for any sign of her foe. She knew it could be quiet when it needed to be, and she couldn't take the risk of letting it catch her off guard. She lowered herself once again, hoping to wait it out in hiding, but as she turned to back up into the rim again the Beast struck! She had been surprised, but did not allow herself a cry of shock. She rarely allowed herself such a luxury during battle. The Beast's claws descended on her, but she rolled out of the way just in time. It struck the rim of the tire instead, and the swipe ripped it nearly in half. 7 stumbled out from between the jagged edges of rubber, and sped across the empty landscape in search of shelter. Not only to hide, but also to collect herself and turn the tables as she had so often done before in such situations. She scaled the side of a flowerpot with apparent ease, nearly running up the full length of the smooth surface, and clawed the rest of the way to the top. She knew the Beast had seen her drop inside, so she was prepared when its paw shot into the opening. Her spear flashed as it pinned the paw to the side of the flowerpot, but this only served to further anger the larger creature. It jerked its paw back, taking the flowerpot with it, and she tumbled against the walls roughly as the Beast tried to shake its foot free from the heavy pot.

7, becoming somewhat irritated at the unstable battleground, shot up the side of the flowerpot once more and landed daintily on the handle of her spear momentarily. She crouched, coiling the "muscles" in her legs which were, in truth, actually coils and launched herself off, using the force of her momentum to shake the spear free as well. It was a difficult move, and she did not quite make it to the top of the flowerpot so that she had to claw her way out the same as she had been required to claw her way in just moments ago. She scowled at such a lack of effort on her part. That was time she couldn't afford to lose. By the time she finally hit the ground again, the Beast was back on its feet as well. It swiveled its head around to glare at her and she let a small gasp escape her lips. She was sure it wasn't heard through the thick bone of her bird-skull helmet, but she hated it when the creature managed to scare a sound out of her, a matter of pride she supposed. She turned and used her superior speed to get a head start. She did not glance behind to see if the Beast was gaining, but she tried a few evasive maneuvers, just in case. She shot in and out of cans, cars, overturned wagons, and other assorted junk in hopes to lose the creature. She took a sharp right at the corner of an empty house, shot through one of the large doorways, out the other, and continued on until she could feel herself growing weary. It was only then that she allowed herself to turn and check for any traces of the Beast. It was not following her. She couldn't be sure when she had lost it, but it was no longer in the vicinity – she hoped.

7 sighed in relief and jabbed her spear into the ground. She removed her helmet and placed it atop the blade as she rested. She was wiping an arm across her forehead when she noticed her surroundings had become suddenly rather familiar. She took a quick, furtive glance in every direction, spotting several landmarks. Great, she had headed towards the twins' hideout without even thinking! That was brilliant! In all the excitement and adrenaline she hadn't even noticed she was putting the very lives she had been attempting to protect in danger! She hoped the Beast truly was gone this time, for at this realization all the adrenaline poured out of her, and she sat down heavily for a moment.

"Damn!" she exclaimed, disappointment in herself rising like a bitter taste in the back of her mouth.

How had she been so careless? She snatched her helmet from its perch and flung it back upon her small head. Taking the spear roughly from the ground as she went, she sped off to make a patrol of the area again. This time she was more cautious, remaining in the shadows and always beneath something. She would speed hastily through the open when her own life was on the line, but she would not endanger the lives of the twins with her arrogance and pride.

Once 7 had decided there was nowhere for the Beast to hide, that she had not checked, she ceased her search long enough to find a suitable place for communication. She dropped to dirt level, took the blade of her spear in hand, and angled it towards the grand library in the distance, bouncing off the rays of the sun in a series of short and long flashes. She hoped one of the twins was on the lookout. Sometimes, they missed her messages because they were both too enraptured with their studies to bother looking out the window from time to time. She continued her message until she received a response from 4, who indicated that she would be sure to let 3 know of the danger. 7 sighed in relief as the communication was terminated, and got to her feet with a slight groan. Today had been somewhat rough, and she needed to find some place to hide from the Beast before night fell. After a workout like that, she wouldn't have the energy to fight in the dark. She rubbed her lower back as she moved slowly away from the twins' sanctuary and thought to herself that she was probably beginning to grow too old for this heroic stuff. She popped her neck with a smirk – but not quite yet – and took off into the sunset to find shelter.


	7. Strength and Insecurity

_I can't help but smile while studying my children. Only 1 – indirectly – knows of my existence, for he stumbled into my lab one day quite by accident. He was running from 7, I believe, who likes to wield her spear at some of the others in a display of showmanship and self-discovery. She's not curious enough to find me out, but she's brave and quick. I never know when she'll pop out from behind something or drop from a shelf to frighten the others. She does not heed to the leadership 1 began to impose upon them after his discovery of my lab, but neither does she exhibit intentions of leading in his place. She only rises in anger against him to protect 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, but especially 3 and 4 as she seems to have developed a maternal bond with this child-like pair. She has grown a warrior in a very short amount of time – a noble, loyal, protective warrior – but she is not the leader I had hoped she would be at her creation. I heave a sigh as I move from the door and return to my lab. My newest creation is built for strength and strength alone. I turn him over now that the ink on his shoulder has dried and stare at his simple face. I did not put enough of my strength into 7, and I do not believe she is sufficient protection for the others. But, paired with the strength of this new child, perhaps they can succeed as saviors together. I am fearful of what effect this will have on my body as I turn to the Fabrication Machine, but if I survive, there is still one last theory I will have to test. I can feel the strength ripped from my body as I'm flooded with light. I cannot afford to lose anymore of my intelligence, but strength I can spare. What need have I for strength? _

8 looked to their leader with a questioning gaze as 2 exited the room. If anyone should take 7's place as the physical protection against the Beast, it was 8. But what right had he to question the decisions of one so much smarter than them all? 8 was sure that 1 knew more than any of the others ever would. He felt confident in this fact, though he could never quite grasp what that something was. It was more a feeling than a knowing. 8 was not very sensitive, some might call him a brute, but he did feel things from time to time. Mostly, he felt that 1 had the best intentions for them. He had the most experience and he took command. 8 liked that. He liked for someone to tell him what to do with his massive strength. 7 had bossed him around a few times as they battled the Beast, but when there was no immediate danger, she left him to his own devices. At these times, 8 had no idea how to conduct himself. He had no idea how to react to the others because no one would tell him. It caused him to shy away from them in the only way he knew how: by being intimidating. He was glad when 1 took complete control, and after 7 disappeared, no one stood against him. The certainty of his command put 8's mind at ease, and, so, he repaid him with utter obedience. There was no questioning 1. 1's word was law in this world.

He supposed the others wondered why he, the strongest of them all, would follow the weakest, physically speaking. He could see it in their glares when he did the leader's bidding without pause. However, he was sure they did not see him as a bad guy. He did help protect them, after all. He simply couldn't connect to the others the way he could the assertive 1. As previously stated, 7 – despite her own form of aggression – had no desire to tell 8 what to do. He was something of a nuisance to her when she was around. 2, 3, and 4 were rather equally unqualified. They were always wrapped up in their own minds, thinking. Thinking too much bothered 8. It scared him. He didn't understand it. 5 only ever followed 2 around, helping him with his inventions and their strange obsession with 6's drawings. And 6…. Well, 8 hated to admit it, but 6 frightened him to a degree. He was the strangest of all, though no smarter than he, or so he thought. It was hard to tell. He just drew and mumbled and scratched at his head all day, trying to remember something 1 said wasn't even real. Why anyone would continue such futile work, he did not understand. Once 1 said it was useless, it was useless, and that was enough for 8.

So, when 1 told him to escort the twins into the forbidden area, there was no hesitation. The smallest of them were the least of his worries. They couldn't even really communicate with him. He had no idea how to decipher the meaning of the jumbled images and letters they projected to him through their flickering optics. He wondered, watching 2 leave for a mission that should have been his, if they ever realized he had abandoned them. A pang of guilt shot through his mighty chest, but it had been an order. Surely, they had simply thought themselves lost when they turned to find he was no longer there. They couldn't have possibly died, cursing his name in their strange language of images and letters. He clutched the handle of his large blade tightly and turned his eyes to the floor. It was an order from 1. That made it right. 1 was always right, he assured himself. Always.

[Well, I proofread and edited every single chapter and replaced the older versions. XD I wrote almost all of them with no sleep, so I realize there was a lot of stuff wrong with the first ones. No need to read them over, if you've already read them. I didn't change that much. A few sentences here and there, mostly grammatical, technical, and name replacements. Anyways, I didn't give 8 a whole lot of attention, did I? I can't relate to him very much – nowhere near as much as I can 2, 3, 4, or 6 – but I tried to get into his mostly empty mind and discover why someone of such strength would follow 1. I knew it before I did so, but it didn't have words. Now it does. X3 I might not have 9 up as quickly as I did the others. I want to think of a good way to end it, but be on the lookout. The way I've taken to this fandom so quickly, I wouldn't doubt it if I got it up tomorrow sometime. God, I love this freakin' movie! I'm gonna go see it in the theaters again soon. I can't wait long enough for the DVD release.]


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